Golden Light
by tigersmeleth
Summary: Three small vignettes will be posted whenever RL allows me to write and post them about Legolas and a song that holds a special place in his heart.
1. Default Chapter

Here's another story...that I wrote in physics class...I really should stop doing that...well...next year.  
  
OVERALL SUMMARY: Three small vignettes (will be posted whenever RL allows me to write and post them) about Legolas and a song that holds a special place in his heart.  
  
SUMMARY FOR CHAPTER 1: Legolas is having nightmares, and wants his Nana, but his Nana is no longer in Mirkwood, what can Thranduil do to make him feel better?  
  
DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything of Tolkien's, and that includes the character of Runya, Legolas' mother. Although she is never named, Legolas does have a mother. Also, no one really knows what happened to her, so in this chapter, it's my take on her fate. I don't know who wrote, "You Are My Sunshine", but it's not my song, and credits goes to whoever wrote it.  
  
A/N: In this chapter, Legolas is the elven equivalent to a human three year old. Also, the story title "Golden Light" comes from the fact that Legolas in anyone's life, young or old, is a ray of sunlight.  
  
Golden Light  
  
Chapter 1: Lullaby  
By Tiger  
  
Legolas tossed and turned in his sleep, trying to run away from the monsters that plagued his dreams. Silent tears fell from his tightly closed eyes. His sniffling could be heard from down the hall.  
  
"Nana!" Legolas tearfully cried out, his tiny voice echoing down the halls. "Nana!" he cried again. "Where are you?"  
  
Inside his rooms, Thranduil restlessly shifted in his sleep. The bed he slept in felt wrong, it was too big. He sighed and turned on his side, sorrowfully gazing at the empty space next to him, still fragrant with the scent of Runya, his wife. How he missed her! It was not long ago, only a week ago, that Runya had decided to pass to Valinor. He couldn't blame her. All elves felt the longing for the sea at some point in their lives. Runya had felt it earlier than most. Thranduil could feel her longing grow day by day, until not even little Legolas could give her escape from it.  
  
The day she left was a sad day. Legolas and Thranduil could not travel with her to the southern shore, so she left alone in the morning. She left with little Legolas clinging to her neck, unwilling to let her go. She gently dislodged her son and handed him to a somber Thranduil...  
  
//Flashback//  
  
She stood there, her blond curls falling about her waist with tears in her eyes. Eyes that couldn't quite meet his when she handed Legolas back to him. "I'm sorry," she softly said, finally looking at him. He could see the pain and relief in her eyes. "I do not wish to leave so early in live. I do not wish to leave either of you." She ruffled Legolas' golden hair, gently wiping away his tears with the delicate sleeve of her dress. He was still sniffling and crying, not quite understanding why his Nana had to leave him, but he stayed silent.  
  
"I know," Thranduil replied, his voice rasping from unshed tears.  
  
"It's all right, Thranduil," Runya said, trying to appear nonchalant through her tears. "It won't be long before we see each other again."  
  
Thranduil let out a shaky laugh. "Of course it won't be, after all, what is a few hundred years to us elves?" He held her in one arm, Legolas in the other, savoring the closeness of his family. He looked into her eyes and realized that this was a moment that he had to take, before it passed. Shifting Legolas so that he could reach his wife more easily, Thranduil bend his head down and gently kissed her.  
  
Runya broke it, knowing that she had to leave. She swallowed and took a deep breath. "I have to go now." Thranduil nodded and reluctantly let go of her hand. He held Legolas closer to him. Runya turned and walked away from them. She climbed on her horse and let it slowly move forward. Closing her eyes, she steeled her heart against the painful separation, even though she knew she would see them again.  
  
Thranduil held a squirming Legolas, standing still as he watched her horse walk away. He felt Legolas try to break form his grasp and set him down, watching him as he ran after Runya calling, "Nana! Nana!" louder and louder as she rode father and farther away. Finally, he could run no more and sat himself down on the ground and cried until Thranduil went to him and picked him up. He rocked Legolas back and forth until he stopped crying, all the while wishing that he himself could cry so openly. "Runya..." he thought to himself.  
  
//End Flashback//  
  
"Nana!" Legolas' anguished cry woke him up. He stared into the ceiling confused as to why Legolas would be crying out. Then he remembered.  
  
"Valar, he misses her as much as I do," he thought before springing out of his bed. He quickly put on a robe and took a lamp with him. He ran down the hall and didn't stop running until he reached his son's room. He dismissed his son's nurse, preferring to take care of Legolas himself. He picked Legolas up, rocking and walking around the room with him in his arms.  
  
"Nana! Nana!" Legolas cried.  
  
Thranduil rocked him back and forth. "Shhhh, ion nin, it's all right, Ada is here." Legolas woke up.  
  
"Nana, I want Nana!" Legolas kept on crying. "The monsters are chasing me again, Ada." Legolas tried to explain. Thranduil smiled sadly.  
  
"Legolas, she passed into the west," he gently said. "Do you not remember?"  
  
"I remember," said Legolas, still crying.  
  
"Now, this will not do, it is the first day of summer, you should be smiling," Thranduil said, trying to steer the conversation away from sadness.  
  
"Can't," Legolas sulkily said.  
  
"And why not?"  
  
"Not happy."  
  
"Then we will have to change that," Thranduil firmly said. "If I sing you a song, will you smile and go to sleep?" Legolas thought about his answer for a moment.  
  
"Okay," he said as he let out a yawn. Thranduil brought him back into his bed, tucking him in as he sang to Legolas.  
  
"You are my sunshine,  
My only sunshine,  
You make me happy,  
When skies are grey.  
You never know, dear,  
How much I love you,  
Please don't take,  
My sunshine away."  
  
Thranduil smiled as Legolas struggled to stay awake, his blue eyes coming in and out of focus. "Sleep, ion nin," he whispered.  
  
"'Kay, Ada, I'm sleeping," mumbled Legolas with a small smile. Thranduil grinned and kissed Legolas' forehead. He stroked the soft cheek and left the room. He climbed back into his bed, but something didn't feel right. He was afraid that Legolas would wake up again.  
  
"No," he told himself. "I only want to be with him." With that thought, he went back to Legolas' room, and settled himself into a chair near Legolas' bed. The last image he saw was that of a sleeping Legolas, an image sweeter to him than any other in the world.  
  
~Finis 


	2. Sweet Surprises

Gah! I know, I'm sorry, I'm really bad at updating, but hey, I finished part two! Thanks to everyone who reviewed part one! (I'm sorry, I'm really bad at remembering names)  
  
OVERALL SUMMARY: Three small vignettes (will be posted whenever RL allows me to write and post them) about Legolas and a song that holds a special place in his heart.  
  
SUMMARY FOR CHAPTER 2: It's the anniversary of Celebrian's passing. Elrond is having a hard time trying to get through the day, and Arwen hates to see her father so pained, so she turns to Legolas for some help.  
  
DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything of Tolkien's, and that includes the character of Runya, Legolas' mother. Although she is never named, Legolas does have a mother. Also, no one really knows what happened to her, so in this chapter, it's my take on her fate. I don't know who wrote, "You Are My Sunshine", but it's not my song, and credits goes to whoever wrote it. However, one elf, Lolindir Inglorion is mine...my precious! All right, am getting out of Gollum mode right now  
  
A/N: In this chapter, Arwen is the elven equivalent to a six year old. I don't quite know when Celebrian left, so just for this vignette...please assume that she left early in Arwen's childhood.  
  
Golden Light Chapter 2:  
Sweet Surprises  
By Tiger  
  
Arwen ran through the path, her excited footsteps causing the birds and small animals to quickly move out of her way. Normally, she would have slowed down to make sure she wouldn't hurt them, but not this time, the six- year-old elf-child had more important matters on her mind. She paused for a quick breath and continued running, daintily holding up her skirt in one hand and clutching the oddly shaped vase in her other. As she approached her home, she slowed her pace, for her special friend, Legolas was standing at the door about to step down the steps. She always slowed down and acted like a grown up for Legolas because he treated her like one. Still, she couldn't resist a small squeak of joy and a wave to him.  
  
"Mae govennen, Legolas!" she shouted. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"Mae govennen, Arwen!" Legolas merrily laughed in return. "I'm here to visit your brothers. What is it that you have in your hand, mellon nin?"  
  
Arwen held her vase up for Legolas to see. "It's a—"she began to reply, but she had been so focused on Legolas, that she didn't pay attention to where she was walking and tripped over a stone. She stumbled and fell. As she did, she tried to protect her vase with her arms. She heard the vase break as she hit the ground, sending up a cloud of dirt, and ripping her dress. Arwen looked down and saw that her vase had broken into five large pieces. She began to cry, not because she was in any pain, but because her precious vase broke. "Oh no!" she wailed, hot tears coming fast to her eyes.  
  
Legolas ran as fast as he could to Arwen when she fell. He saw her crying, holding pieces of her vase. He bent down next to her, examining her, making sure that she had no serious injuries. "It's all right, mellon nin, you only have a few scrapes, do not cry." He picked up the tearful Arwen, vase pieces and all and began to carry her to the Healing Ward where she could get her cuts cleaned up.  
  
"I-I-I don't hurt, Legolas!" she exclaimed through her tears. She rubbed her blurry eyes with the sleeve of her dress. She mournfully looked down at the pieces she cradled in her arms. Legolas followed her eyes. Understanding dawned on him. What a fool he had been.  
  
"Is the vase for your Ada, Arwen?" he gently asked. She nodded and cast her eyes down. How could she give Ada her vase now? It was broken, she didn't know how to fix it. They arrived at the Healing Ward a few moments later. He poked his head around, making sure that Elrond wasn't present. He had some idea of the surprise that Arwen planned for her father. "It doesn't look like your Ada is here at the moment. Let's get you cleaned up, then we'll see about fixing up your vase. How does that sound?" He smiled at the way her eyes lit up in response to her suggestion. How lucky Elrond was to have such a daughter who cared so much about him. "Wait here," he said. He put Arwen on a bed and walked around the Healing Ward looking for Lolindir Inglorion, Elrond's tall nephew who was often left in charge of Rivendell's Healing Ward. Legolas searched high and low, and finally found him writing away at his desk. "Ah, good, Lin, you're here." Legolas said slightly out of breath.  
  
"Legolas!" the elf smiled. "So, what have you done this time to land yourself in the Healing Ward?" Legolas laughed.  
  
"I'll have you remember that the last time I was in here was because Elladan decided that it would be funny to push me rather unexpectedly onto a patch of ice!"  
  
"True enough, true enough," the dark haired elf smiled. "What can I do for you this time?"  
  
"Actually, I'm all right, for once," Legolas rolled his eyes at the smirk Lolindir gave him. "Arwen tripped and fell. She has a few cuts, I just want you to make sure that they're not going to be infected." Lolindir nodded and followed Legolas to Arwen. He washed her cuts and bandaged them and gave her strict orders to watch where she was walking, else she would be just like her brothers, stuck in the Healing Ward day in, day out. She made a face at Lolindir's back as he walked out of the room.  
  
"Legolas, I'm cleaned up now, will you help me fix my vase?" She asked.  
  
"Of course! Now, where shall we fix it? In your room, or out in the gardens?" He asked, his eyes twinkling. There really was no need to ask, he knew the answer already. Arwen tilted her head, as if she was thinking with a smile spread over her face.  
  
"Out in the gardens!" She exclaimed, laughing.  
  
"That's what I thought, let's go!" He held the pieces in one hand, and a jar of glue in the other. They raced each other (carefully) outside.  
  
"I win!" Arwen proclaimed proudly. Legolas smiled. They sat down on a patch of grass, and together, they worked on putting the vase back together.  
  
Elrond sat somberly by his study window, a book open in his lap, his head resting on his hand. He stayed there, watching the clouds pass by, wondering if they were the same clouds that his beloved Celebrian saw in Valinor. He dearly missed the golden head of curls that used to pop in and out of his study, making him smile and laugh at her youthfulness. He was brought out of thoughts by a knock on the wooden door.  
  
"Come in," he said, still looking out the window. He saw his daughter's head poking through the door in the window's reflection. "Arwen," he said, turning around. "What is it?"  
  
"Are you busy?" she asked.  
  
"For you, never." He replied.  
  
"Good." She strode in, and placed a small vase in his hand. There was a picture of a tall elf and a little girl on it, she had painted it herself.  
  
"It's very good." He said. She smiled proudly.  
  
"It's for you." She said.  
  
"For me?" he gave her a small smile.  
  
"Yup, and this song is for you too." She replied. She began to sing, her youthful voice carrying all of her love to him.  
  
"You are my sunshine,  
  
My only sunshine.  
You make me happy,  
When skies are grey.  
You never know dear,  
How much I love you,  
Please don't take,  
My sunshine away."  
  
Arwen smiled as she finished singing. "Did you like it?" she asked him hopefully.  
  
"Yes I did, very much, nîn iell." He opened her arms to Arwen and embraced her. He looked out his window as he did so, searching for Legolas. He had recognized the Sindarin melody as a lullaby.  
  
Down below, in the courtyard beneath Elrond's study, Legolas paced. He hoped that he had done the right thing, teaching Arwen the song. He felt a pair of eyes on him. Looking up, he caught Elrond's grateful smile for him. Legolas put a hand over his heart and bowed his head to the elven lord, smiling back, glad to have paid such a service. His duty done, he went back to cheering up the twins.  
  
"Thank you, Arwen," Elrond whispered into his daughter's ear. "You have no idea just how much I needed your sunshine today."  
  
"Are you all happy now, Ada?" Arwen looked up at him with hope-filled eyes.  
  
"Yes, I think I am." He smiled down at her.  
  
"Good, because when you're sad, my heart is cracked, like my vase." She pointed a chubby finger to the vase that sat on his desk. Elrond hugged Arwen tighter.  
  
"After today, nîn iell, I don't think that I will be sad any longer."  
  
Finis 


	3. Soothing Voices

Hey guys,  
  
Sorry that it's taken me awhile to write the third part of "Golden Light". My graduation was this Sunday, as was the All Night Grad Party. Not a lot of time to write! Phew, but it's done now, and I hope you guys enjoy it!  
  
Tiger  
  
In addition: Thank you to all of my reviewers for the last two parts on MC, Flufflings, as well as Starlit Hope on ff.net!  
  
OVERALL SUMMARY: Three short vignettes involving Legolas, and the song, "You Are My Sunshine"  
  
CHAPTER SUMMARY: Eldarion caught a cold, and is very cranky and fussy. Aragorn decides to give Arwen a break and takes care of Eldrarion himself. But, he has no idea how to calm Eldarion down until Legolas makes a suggestion. The last part of the "Golden Light" series.  
  
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Lord of the Rings, nor do I pretend to. That singular honor goes to J.R.R. Tolkein. I don't know who wrote "You Are My Sunshine", but I don't own that either.  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTES: This story is set a few years after the War of the Ring. Eldarion is a few months old at this point.  
  
Golden Light Chapter 3:  
Soothing Voices  
By Tiger  
  
He was dreaming of a time past, of a time when he was a child and carefree, without any of the worries he had now. How he missed that time of his life! He missed being a child, when everything was new and fresh to him. He missed his elven father and family, the ones who loved him and raised him as their own. He missed their guidance. Imaldris was too far away for him to do anything but send messengers. He was woken from his dream by a soft wailing in the next room. He opened his eyes to find himself staring into pitch black. His mind whirled, trying to reorient himself from the sunny, open grounds of Imaldris to the hard stone palace of Minas Tirith. Aragorn, King Elessar to men, and Estel to the elves, heard his wife, Arwen, stir beside him.  
  
"Eldarion is awake again. The poor baby, it is not fun being ill," Arwen said sighing. "Perhaps this time though, he will fall asleep quickly." She pulled back the covers and started to rise, when a strong hand pushed her down.  
  
"You have woken up enough times already, meleth nin." Aragorn softly said, looking up into her tired blue eyes. "Go back to sleep, I will take care of him this time." He tucked Arwen back into the bed and tucked her in. He kissed her brow, and she smiled, content that her husband would take care of things. Aragorn put on a robe over his sleeping clothes and padded over to his child's nursery. He quietly opened the door, and Eldarion stopped crying in his crib, as if he was trying to determine whether it was his mother or his nursemaid going through the door. But then the crying came again. For Aragorn, this was worse than any harsh orc cry. He didn't care about orcs, but he did care deeply about his son, and each cry that Eldarion wailed broke his heart. He reached into the crib and pulled out his son, putting the babe close to his heart and began to rock him. It didn't work, Eldarion continued crying, high pitched wails that wouldn't stop. He changed the way he held Eldarion. Didn't work. He tried to give Eldarion a bottle of milk in case he was hungry. Didn't work. Aragorn even checked the diapers in case it was those pieces of cloth that was causing Eldarion some comfort. It wasn't the diapers either. Aragorn was about to wake Arwen in his frustration when he heard someone step into the nursery from the hallway.  
  
"Who walks here?" he demanded, wincing as Eldarion cried out again. How was he going to make his son stop? He couldn't very well deal with his babe crying and the person in the room at the same time.  
  
"It is I, Estel," came a familiar voice next to him. Aragorn whirled around with a smile on his face.  
  
"Ah, Legolas. It is only you," Aragorn said with relief. He cradled Eldarion. "What brings you here? I thought that you would be asleep."  
  
"I heard him cry, mellon nin, and not stop. I thought that you might want some help in calming him down," Legolas answered with a hint of amusement in his voice.  
  
"Try being a father before you start laughing at me," Aragorn said light heartedly. Legolas laughed softly.  
  
"What is it that you want to do with Eldarion then?" Legolas asked.  
  
"To calm him down and make him sleep," Aragorn tiredly replied. "Arwen needs her sleep and I need mine, at least tonight. Eldarion is ill, and he needs to sleep or he won't recover as fast as he could. I do not want to give him a sleeping potion, his stomach cannot digest it at this stage." Legolas thought for a moment before answering.  
  
"Why don't you sing to him?" he said. "The Lord Elrond, your brothers, and I would sing to you when you were sick to soothe your mind, and let you sleep, do you not remember?" Aragorn smiled.  
  
"Aye, I do. Perhaps you should sing that Silvan lullaby to Eldarion then? You are the one with the soothing voice, more soothing than mine anyways." Aragorn said. Legolas chuckled.  
  
"While that may be true," Legolas ducked a mock glare that Aragorn threw at him. "I think that Eldarion would rather hear his father's voice rather than mine, wouldn't you agree?"  
  
"I suppose so," Aragorn agreed. "He knows my voice well enough to not be afraid of it."  
  
"Good. You remember the Silvan lullaby I hope? I do not think that this is the opportune moment to teach it to you again."  
  
"Let me think for a moment...yes, I remember it." In his arms, Aragorn heard Eldarion give another wail. Aragorn didn't like the sound of the tired cry and hurried his mind to remember the words to the song that was playing in his mind. Slowly, and softly, he started to sing.  
  
"You are my sunshine,  
My only sunshine.  
You make me happy,  
When skies are grey.  
You'll never know dear,  
How much I love you.  
Please don't take,  
My sunshine away."  
  
Eldarion's cries soften as he listened to his father's voice, deep and soothing. Soon, he began to let his heavy eyes rest, and let the music of his father's voice take away the pain he was feeling.  
  
In the middle of the lullaby, Legolas decided to leave the nursery. It was not his place to be at the moment. That moment belonged to father and son. He turned around and smiled at the tenderness between them. Who knew that the hardened ranger could hold a baby?  
  
Aragorn was relieved when he felt Eldarion relax into him. He would keep the lullaby in mind for whenever Eldarion could not fall asleep. Legolas was right. Eldarion only wanted reassurance that everything was all right, and his singing did that for him. Slowly, gently, he placed Eldarion back into his crib. He stroked the soft cheeks that was alabaster in the full moonlight. "Sleep well, ion nin. No more waking up your naneth and me now." He smiled as Eldarion turned to his side and let out a tired yawn. No, his son wouldn't be waking up anytime soon.  
  
Aragorn padded back into his room and crawled back into his warm bed. Just as he was drifting off into sleep, he felt something poke him into his side. He groaned and turned to Arwen. "Yes? Would you like me to sing you to sleep as well?" She giggled.  
  
"No, that is quite alright. As much as I like listening to your voice in the middle of the night, I would fall asleep far too quickly to enjoy it," she said with a smile. She pulled closer to him, allowing him to hold her. "Thank you for making him sleep."  
  
"It was nothing," he mumbled.  
  
"Yes it was. You won't have to deal with a cranky wife in the morning."  
  
"That is also true," he said. Then he felt something soft and feathery hit his head. "Hey!" he exclaimed.  
  
"You know better than to say something like that." Arwen said sharply. In the dark, Aragorn couldn't tell whether she was joking or not, so he let it be, hoping that after his little comment, Arwen wouldn't be too ill- tempered in the morning. 


End file.
